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Insights and Expertise

StreetSmarts SM

The ABCs of always be closing

By Allen Kopelman Ben Franklin close: Encourage a hesitant prospect to list
Nationwide Payment Systems Inc. pros and cons to arrive at an informed decision. Make
sure your numbers are accurate and don't inflate savings
elling is a numbers game. The more times to avoid buyer's remorse. Remember, figures don't lie, but
you pitch, the more your skills and closing they sure can figure!
ratios improve. Successful salespeople custom- Menu close: Instead of asking prospects if they are ready
S ize every presentation. As I learned from my to move forward, which creates an opening for "no," ask
stepdad, Jerry, who sold insurance, some people like to which option they would prefer. This style, also known
hear things when making decisions; others like to see how as "choice not chance," works best when limited to several
things work. choices, to avoid confusion.
• Assumptive close: Casually present your merchant
Salespeople need to know if prospects are verbally or vi- application and ask for federal tax ID, driver's li-
sually oriented and adjust their presentations accordingly. cense and voided check. This technique works with
prospects who have given verbal or visual cues that
These days, I'm doing 99 percent of my selling on the they are ready to move ahead but backfires if pros-
phone, and my go-to offer is, "Let me show you a demo," pects feel manipulated.
because demos lead to sales. I also follow Elmer Wheeler's
sage advice: "Sell the sizzle, not the steak." This means • Urgency close: Limited time offers and inventory
selling product, not price. Wheeler, an advertising execu- shortages can motivate prospects who are ready to
tive, published Tested Sentences that Sell in 1937, and was buy. Ask qualifying questions, such as, "How soon
one of the original influencers. His book is still in print are you looking to get this done?" or "When do you
today. plan to open your new store?" If they're in a hurry,
you could be at the right place at the right time. If
Wheeler believed in making a positive first impression. they're not in a hurry, you've made the wrong as-
As he wrote in his book, your first 10 words are more im- sumption.
portant than your next 10,000. With that in mind, do your
homework ahead of the sale, show up on time, and re-
member the word "you" is far more impactful than "I" in a
sales presentation. In the end, none of these

Time-tested closing techniques techniques will work unless they
Getting back to basics is a time-honored tradition in sell- are customized for the customer
ing. Like a musician practicing scales or athlete working
out, salespeople routinely practice these popular tech- and moment.
niques:

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